


The theme is....

by Akaseru



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2015-01-04
Packaged: 2018-02-14 02:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2173887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaseru/pseuds/Akaseru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of drabbles following various themes presented on worldofsmoakingcanary on tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Ease My Troubled Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Superhero

Sara wasn't sure she would ever get used to being called a hero. The SCPD, her father, Laurel, Felicity --they all said it, but she wouldn't accept it. Not when she used to kill people for a living. A hero doesn't save people as a penance for unforgivable trangressions. The League may act to eliminate threats, but it didn't make it easier and hardly helped her sleep better.

What Sara didn't understand, what she truly couldn't wrap her head around, was how Felicity's name was always left out of the mix.

John Diggle, decorated and retired special forces. Oliver Queen, billionaire, survivor, and vigilante. Sara Lance, screw-up, survivor, ex-assassin, and vigilante. How could killers ("Shooting a kid and defending a war criminal shouldn't get me a commendation.") with broken souls and enough guilt and karma to haunt them in the next life be considered heroes?

Then there's Sara's father and sister. Quentin Lance, from detective to beat cop and back. Laurel Dinah Lance, DA and pro bono lawyer. They're civil servants that earned their title.

But what about Felicity?

Felicity Smoak, IT-girl, secretary to Oliver Queen (and may be sleeping with her boss). That's all people see when they look at her. Sara thinks that's the greatest transgression, greatest injustice of them all.

To Sara, Felicity Smoak is the greatest hero of them all --a superhero even. Felicity Smoak, who considers her 'loud voice' as yelling, who keeps everyone in line when things get ugly. Felicity Smoak, whose moral compass probably points to true North and everyone turns to for guidance. A woman who is a shining beacon that penetrates the darkest corner of their souls and can do no wrong. A woman who is as humble as she is beautiful and intelligent, and, as Sara has come to realize, someone whose opinion she has come to value more than her own family.

So Sara makes it her mission to tell Felicity everyday that she's Sara's hero; everytime Felicity gives her adivice, everytime they go out someplace, everytime Felicity pushes the darkness away that much more, everytime Sara goes out on patrol. Recently, Sara's come to tell her every night, too.

Sara tells it to her when they curl up before sleep, breathes it on her lips after they kiss and touch foreheads, presses it into her skin as Sara pays homage to her body. Sara will tell Felicity until her last breath.

Maybe one day Felicity will believe it. Maybe after Sara learns to believe in herself.


	2. Rules of Engagement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cop AU
> 
> Mostly from Laurel's POV

There was a lot of commotion coming from one the interrogating rooms. Everyone in the bullpen had a fairly good idea what was going on, but they kept their heads down out of respect. It wasn't their business anyway; however, if Detective Lance yelled any louder everyone would be privy to it.

Laurel stood patiently in the bullpen waiting for the argument to go from a rolling boil to a slow simmer. There was a young and anxious man sitting in the desk beside her and he kept glancing from her to the closed door nervously. Laurel surreptitiously side-eyed him with a raised brow. He was a fresh-faced brunette, probably recently earned his detectives shield, and he was in for it if this is how he reacted to in-house drama. He didn't even look like he belonged there. Laurel saw a box under his desk which confirmed her suspicions.

"Um...should I..." He floundered for some kind of appropriate response when the 'silence' became stifling.

"How long has this been going on?" Laurel kept her gaze on the door and mentally went through her errands for the rest of the day. Meeting with a client, lunch with Tommy, dinner with the family -she was cooking. A trip to the store was in order.

"I dunno, almost a minute?" He failed to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He had a lot to learn.

Laurel decided to throw him a scrap of advice, "This happens at least once a week. If they don't get it out of their system then it makes work miserable. For all parties involved," she looked at the name plate on the desk, "Detective Allen." Laurel was compiling a grocery list when the door opened and her father stepped out, closing the door behind him.

"Laurel, daughter of mine-" Detective Quentin Lance stopped short at the look she gave him as she crossed her arms. He should have known better than to try redirecting the issue with one of Starling City's best lawyers. Quentin ran a hand over his face and pointed a finger a her, "Now don't you star-"

"Dad, its a bogus case that wouldn't hold up in any court. You know it, I know it, and she knows it. You wanna tell me what that was really about?" Laurel could hear Allen shuffling awkwardly in his seat.

When it didn't look like he was going to answer Allen stood up. "Detective Lance?"

Quentin swiveled his head towards him. "And you are?" He didn't bother hiding the irritation from his voice.

"Detective Barry Allen, sir." He stuck out his hand.

So he was a new partner. Laurel put the issue on the back burner and watched in amusement as her father made no effort to hide the way he sized up Barry followed by a simple "you" in a rather disbelieving tone. Barry just put his arm down.

"Ah, Miss Smoak, please tell me you've got something." Quentin saw Felicity Smoak walking into the bullpen with a file in her hand and welcomed the chance to avoid his discussion with Laurel.

Laurel rolled her eyes at her father's evasive technique and caught Barry looking at Felicity, the tech specialist. Felicity was the only MIT graduate in the precinct, and, as far as tech analysts went, she would make one hell of a detective if she didn't prefer working with computers.

Something occured to Laurel. "Detective, who were you assigned to?"

Barry whipped his head around so quickly Laurel was surprised he didn't give himself whiplash. "Please, call me Allen, everyone else does," he lamely joked and cleared his throat. "I've been assigned to Detective Lance." He looked back at Quentin with a small frown before his gaze fell back to Felicity again. "Uh, you know everyone around the precinct right? Do you know her?"

_He has no idea what he's walking into._  Laurel decided to have a little fun at his expense, "You mean Felicity? She's works with the tech crews, real nice, too." It wasn't a lie. Laurel really liked Felicity, loved her even. She couldn't say the same about Nyssa from Major Crimes; not that she could deny her skills, they were as legendary as her father Ra's, but Laurel was hoping that she would follow in her fathers footsteps and InterPol would snatch her up --for less than altruistic reasons.

Laurel noticed Felicity waving her hands around while she talked with her father and looked back at Barry as he sported a ridiculous grin. She had half a mind to bop him on the forehead with his own badge.  _He'll learn._ "I suggest you be careful with her. The _entire_  precinct will have it out for should you hurt her." That was a little bit of lie, not that he needed to know. The door to the interrogation room opened again. "By the way," when Barry looked back at her she pointed to the door, "there's your new partner."

Sara strutted over to where Laurel was standing and gave her a hug. "Laurel, I wasn't expecting to see you here today. Is everything okay?"

"I came in to pick up some files and remind my little sister that tonight we're having a family dinner." Laurel caught Sara glancing over her shoulder at Barry and narrowing her eyes a little. As much as she wanted to stick around to see how this played out she needed to leave. "Well I'll leave you to it, and dinner is at eight. Detective, it was nice meeting you." With that, Laurel left, but not without whispering "play nice" to Sara.

Sara looked at the man in front of her as he stuck out his hand. He looked like the kind of guy that probably lived in his mothers basement.

"I'm Barry Allen, your new partner." 

She waited a beat before she shook his hand, "Detective Sara Lance. The transfer from Central right? Welcome to Homicide à la Starling City." Felicity walked over to her with a file in hand. Sara didn't miss the way Barry's eyes followed her. "Felicity, meet my new partner Detective Barry Allen."

Felicity shook his hand. "Felicity Smoak. It's a pleasure to meet you." Sara caught Barry glancing at her hand and kept her face perfectly neutral. Felicity must have seen the mischievious glint in her eye and said, "Don't let her give you any trouble. If she does just come see me."

Barry laughed at that. "That shouldn't be a problem."

Sara ignored the comment and purposefully put her left hand on Felicity's arm when she had Barry's attention "By the way, Laurel wants the family over for dinner at eight tonight." The look on Barry's face when he finally puts two and two together would be well worth the imminent backlash Felicity would give her for that little display.

He didn't dissapoint. Barry cleared his throat and Felicity had to walk away before she started giggling. "Well, now that you're here why don't I bring you up to speed on the case I'm working?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The case Laurel is refering to is a perp trying to sue Sara for harassment and using excessive force during an arrest. All the squad car cameras show otherwise: attacking an officer will be added to the litany of charges he faces.


	3. Do Not Disturb (any more than necessary, that is)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prison AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally typed this around the day of the theme and opted not to post it because I stared at it too long; instead, I had shipped it off to vampoof94 to play with. I'm posting this now for the sake of contributing more to the fandom and to encourage myself to post more works.

There was a crash of books falling on the floor, and Felicity had a pretty good idea who the culprit was. She let out an exasperated sigh as she put the books back on the trolley and made her way from the rows of shelves to the reading tables where the sound originated. Sure enough, Helena Bertinelli stood there in all her orange glory wearing a cloyingly sweet smile, looking at her just long enough to make Felicity feel uncomfortable before she turned around and left. Most days of the week Felicity didn't know where she stood with her, seeming to do a good deed one day and do an abrupt about face the next.   
  
When Felicity bent down to pick up the books, six in all, she examined the spines and hung her head with a resigned groan. "Of course she would, the bitch."  
  
Felicity maintained the library at the Starling Womens Correctional Facility which was a daunting task when one considered that it had never been properly maintained to begin with in the last ten or so years. If the first two books were anything to go by, it would seem that Helena plucked them just so that Felicity would be busy flitting from one end of the library to the other trying to put them away. Helena obviously knew how to get under her skin and had no qualms doing so.  
  
"As much as I dislike the word I'd have to agree."  
  
Felicity jumped and held out one of the books in a cross between a threatening and defense manner, not that it would do her any good. When she realized the blonde in front of wasn't there to... Well, Felicity didn'lt know what she expecting and lowered her book all the same. "Jesus Christ! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that, especially not in a prison!"  
  
Her guest was about to say something when one of the inmates in the library beat her to the punch. "Hey, keep it down toots. Some of us are actually trying to read here. Sheesh."  
  
The woman flashed a dimpled smile her way. "Sorry about that. I'm Sara."


End file.
